Adoption news: Allegations of abuse again upset U.S.-Russia process

U.S. officials are investigating the actions of an adoptive mother in Alaska. A story on The Moscow Times website shows a clip from a "Dr. Phil" show in November, showing the woman forcing her son to take cold showers or drink Tabasco sauce as punishments.

In addition, Russia may annul the adoption and its children's ombudsman, Pavel Astahkov, has suggested calling another moratorium on U.S. adoptions from Russia until a bilateral agreement is signed. However, the latest posting on the U.S. Department of State's adoption page notes that issues remain unresolved after the most-recent meetings.

Last year, Russia discussed suspending U.S. adoptions when Torry Hansen of Shelbyville, Tenn., put her 8-year-old adopted son on a flight back to Moscow, unaccompanied. The Shelbyville Times-Gazette now reports that Russian authorities want Hansen to pay about $2,500 a month to care for the child, who is living in an orphanage.